We're at the midway point of the college football season, which means the 2025 NFL draft is right around the corner. Does your favorite team need a quarterback next season? Well, there's still a lot to sort out with this class.
There were six passers taken in Round 1 this past April, including the top three picks. I don't think that's going to happen in 2025; there are some intriguing signal-callers, but it's not as loaded at the top. There's no leaguewide consensus on who is the top prospect.
How do the quarterbacks in the 2025 class stack up right now? It's time to debut my 2025 QB Hot Board, where I rank every passer who has a chance to get drafted. I'm going 13 deep, with two clear first-rounders as of now. I'll go through the strengths and weaknesses of all 13, along with each quarterback's draft stock.
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Fringe first-rounders | Day 2 picks
Day 3 picks | Undrafted free agency
1. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 215 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Round 1
Where he excels: When protected in the pocket, Sanders' rhythm as a passer, calm demeanor in the pocket and overall accuracy are among the best in the country. In the short and underneath areas, he displays great ball location. He has 2,018 passing yards, 17 touchdown passes and four interceptions -- and one of those picks deflected off the foot of a defender (in the season opener against North Dakota State). Despite facing pressure on 34.8% of his dropbacks (35th-highest in FBS), he ranks sixth overall in completion percentage (72.6%).
"He's been the best of the bunch to me, and I've been impressed by his growth this year," an assistant GM from an NFC team said. "The on-field demeanor has been contagious so far, and the results have shown on that team this year."
The Buffaloes are 4-2, and outside of an uncharacteristic performance against Nebraska -- one TD pass and one INT while being sacked five times -- Sanders' poise has stood out. His eight go-ahead touchdown passes is the second most in the country. As the moments heighten, his heartbeat remains the same. And it's that unwavering confidence that most excites scouts.
Where he needs work: The consensus from evaluators is Sanders has to get the ball out quicker. He averages 2.94 seconds before throwing this season, which ranks 111th in FBS. And while plenty of blame can be put on his inconsistent protection, he needs to trust his expiring internal clock and distribute. He tends to drift backward or search for escape lanes out the side of the pocket. Sanders needs to cut down on taking avoidable sacks and compounding mistakes; his 8.3% sack-per-dropback rate ranks 107th.
2. Cam Ward, Miami
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 223 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Round 1
Where he excels: Nearly every year, there's a transfer QB who makes a significant leap in his development with his new team and rises up draft boards. The recent examples are Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels, who turned big seasons at LSU into being top-two picks. For the 2025 class, Ward, who has moved from Incarnate Word to Washington State to Miami over five seasons, is the top candidate. He has thrown 20 touchdown passes for 2,219 yards and has five interceptions through six games. The Hurricanes were off over the weekend, but he still is tied for the FBS lead in TD throws.
Ward is an electrifying playmaker who has ignited Miami's entire program, leading the team to a 6-0 start. He can throw from multiple arm slots and generate velocity with ease no matter the positioning of his body, similar to a shortstop maneuvering the infield. His 91.8 Total QBR ranks third in the country, and his 20 completions of 20-plus air yards ranks first.
What has been most impressive this season is Ward's poise and calm demeanor. He has been at his best in the biggest moments. He orchestrated comebacks against Virginia Tech and Cal, which included 238 passing yards in the fourth quarter alone in the win over the Golden Bears. Based on how scouts are talking about Ward's play, he has a chance to be the first QB off the board in the 2025 class.
Where he needs work: What hurt Ward during his two seasons at Washington State (2022-23) was the moments in which he simply tried to do too much.
"He has times where he has to scratch his itch for reckless plays, and it leaves you asking, 'What the heck was he thinking there?'" an AFC area scout said. "I like him and don't know if that can be coached out of him."
Where Ward is a work in progress is in controlling careless plays and head-scratching decisions outside of structure that lead to turnovers. He still has moments in which he goes for a highlight-reel play, with his pick-six against Cal being a prime example.
Scouts also want to see Ward improve in getting the ball out quicker. His 2.90-second average time before pass ranks 103rd in the FBS. He has a habit of looking off open options in the short-to-intermediate areas of progressions to search for explosive plays.
3. Carson Beck, Georgia
Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 220 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Late Day 1, early Day 2
Where he excels: Beck was one of the candidates in contention to be the No. 1 pick in 2025 entering the season, and he has put up 1,818 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.
With a by-the-book playing style, Beck hardly takes a detour from how plays are designed, sticking to structure. His footwork and eyes sync up to progressions, as his game centers on decisiveness and quick decision-making. Beck is an efficient distributor who thrives when on time and in rhythm, taking what defenses give him. His 19 multi-pass-touchdown games since the start of last season is tied for the second most in the FBS.
Where he needs work: What happens when Beck faces pressure and he's forced out of structure? When pressured, he has an 11.6 QBR, which ranks 78th in the FBS. The splits on his QBR inside (82.6, 19th) and outside of the pocket (49.7, 90th) are staggering as well. Scouts want to see him improve when moved off his spots.
"He's the type of passer that will always need top-tier protection and multiple weapons," an assistant GM for an AFC team said. "Look at how different that offense looks without [Brock] Bowers and [Ladd] McConkey.
"Uplifting lower-level talent will always be a challenge for him, and that worries me about taking him early, especially if he goes to a bad team."
After a rough first-half performance against Alabama in Week 5, Beck battled back and showed moxie in the heartbreaking defeat, throwing for 439 yards with three touchdowns and three picks. Out of all of the QBs in the 2025 class, opinions are most split on Beck, who has only a slightly above-average arm.
Beck received Day 2 grades from NFL execs over the summer, and he was my top-ranked passer entering the season. When polling scouts, the common comp I heard for Beck was Jared Goff, who went No. 1 in 2016. Beck has struggled to find his flow, however, as he has been inconsistent in his on-schedule play, accuracy and decisiveness.
4. Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 225 pounds
Class: Junior | Projected range: Late Day 1, early Day 2
Where he excels: Since a disappointing two-interception performance against Texas last season that resulted in his benching, Milroe hasn't looked back, developing into the best dual-threat QB in the country. Through six games this season, he has 1,483 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also added 319 yards and another 11 scores on the ground. His 83.2 Total QBR ranks 11th in the country, while his 72.7 completion percentage is fifth.
Milroe has a powerful arm and a tremendous competitive nature as a runner. He has also shown more patience from the pocket this season, slowing down his internal clock and not scrambling as soon as pressure hits. He's finding open targets and playing within Alabama's system. And with his skill set, he could excel in an NFL offense that uses his running skills.
Alabama takes an 8-point lead with under two minutes left as Jalen Milroe slings one to an open Germie Bernard for a 34-yard touchdown.
"He's been doubted every year, and he constantly keeps proving the doubters wrong," said the director of college scouting from a QB-needy team. "You're going to have to go all-in on his skill set and build a scheme that just overwhelms teams like Baltimore, but there's a pathway to success for him on the next level."
Where he needs work: The biggest remaining question about Milroe is whether he can marry his footwork to his release timing on underneath throws. While his deep passing is a strength and his accuracy on intermediate throws has improved, he still takes too long to get the ball out on throws in which he's asked to make pre-snap reads and execute.
Milroe's 2.85-second time to throw ranks 96th in the country, as Alabama's offense consists primarily of deeper throws down the field. Another area Milroe has struggled is on throws against man coverage (his 46.3 QBR ranks 90th).
5. Quinn Ewers, Texas
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 210 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Late Day 1, early Day 2
Where he excels: Ewers returned to the field Saturday after missing two games with an abdomen strain, throwing for 199 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a big 34-3 win over Oklahoma. He was uneven overall, but he completed 10 of 12 passes for 109 yards and a score in the second quarter, when the Longhorns built a three-score lead.
Ewers could have entered the 2024 draft and likely been a mid- to late-Day 2 pick, so returning to school has proved to be the right decision. Scouts have mentioned that he has shown much more poise this season.
"Everything's seemed to have slowed down for him this year," a director of college scouting for an NFC team said.
Ewers' command and comfort in the pocket has improved significantly. His relaxed mechanics have translated throughout his entire body, as his eyes, feet and throwing motion are now in sync. His 80.9 adjusted completion percentage heading into Saturday's win was the third-best rate in the FBS. Coach Steve Sarkisian was instrumental in the development of Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones at Alabama, helping them become first-round picks, and Ewers is on the same trajectory.
Where he needs work: The Longhorns lost their top four playmakers from 2023, and the offense has shifted away from the deep ball this season. It's now primarily a short-to-intermediate quick passing scheme, as Ewers' 5.8 air yards per attempt ranks 122nd in the FBS. Heading into Saturday, 34.2% of his passes have come at or behind the line of scrimmage, which ranked 114th. Scouts want to see whether Ewers' downfield touch and accuracy improves as the season continues.
Durability is also another area NFL evaluators have raised questions about. Ewers has missed seven games because of injuries over the past three seasons.
6. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 200 pounds
Class: Junior | Projected range: Early to mid-Day 2
Where he excels: In Year 1 as the starter at LSU, Nussmeier has played extremely well, throwing for 1,989 passing yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. He is an anticipatory thrower who trusts his targets to get to their route depth on concepts and isn't hesitant to throw it to those spots.
"He's the son of a football coach, high football IQ, good arm, but he's tough as nails," an area scout for an AFC team said. "He made some bad decisions and had turnovers in some games, but he kept battling and battling until they won the game at the end."
Nussmeier, whose father, Doug, is the quarterbacks coach for the Eagles, doesn't take many sacks, as his sack-per-dropback rate (0.8%) ranks third in the FBS. He has been sacked only twice all season. He ranks 13th in QBR (82.1). He's always aware of his options in progressions. NFL scouts have been talking about Nussmeier as a potential riser in this class -- if he continues improving.
Where he needs work: While Nussmeier has been accurate in short and intermediate areas, he has yet to find his comfort zone on deep throws. Heading into Saturday's game, his 46.4 QBR when throwing to targets running vertically ranked 94th in the FBS. He has averaged 8.2 air yards per attempt (76th), and scouts want to see him take more shots down the field.
Nussmeier is intriguing, and LSU's schedule will allow him a few high-profile matchups, as the Tigers face Texas A&M, Alabama and Oklahoma in three of their final five games.
7. Drew Allar, Penn State
Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 238 pounds
Class: Junior | Projected range: Early to mid-Day 2
Where he excels: Allar is a well-built pocket passer with the arm strength to fit throws into every window. He has 1,492 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions this season, and his 87.1 QBR is ranks seventh in the FBS. His growth under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is notable, as he completed just 59.9% of his passes last season. He's up all the way to 70.5% in 2024.
Allar is a toolsy passer with the size, arm strength and intangibles quarterback-needy teams will covet as he develops as a passer. There's no certainty he will enter the 2025 draft, however, as he's only 20 years old. His tools are impossible to ignore, but there's plenty of room for continued growth in his accuracy despite his early success in Year 1 under a new offensive coordinator.
Where he needs work: Allar arguably has the strongest arm of any passer in the 2025 class, but scouts still want to see him become more aware of which speed to use on his passes. He sometimes struggles with touch, throwing too hard on short targets. Heading into Saturday, his 9.9% off-target rate ranked 41st in the nation. Allar also needs to speed up his internal clock, as his 2.84-second average time before throws ranks 93rd.
All eyes will be on Allar during Penn State's Nov. 2 matchup against Ohio State.
8. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 225 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Mid to late Day 2
Where he excels: Dart began his college career at USC in 2021 before transferring to Ole Miss, where he has started the past three seasons, mastering Lane Kiffin's up-tempo offense. He has thrown for 2,100 yards, 13 touchdowns and two interceptions this season, and his completion rate is all the way up to 73.4%.
An explosive thrower of the ball, Dart has adequate arm strength to attack all parts of the field. In an offense designed to stretch defenses vertically, his 11.2 air yards per attempt ranks third in the FBS. He also has the freedom to get the ball out quickly with perimeter passes. With a 83.8% catchable pass rate (seventh), he has feathery touch to get the ball to targets.
Where he needs work: Kiffin has developed productive passers at Ole Miss, but scouts remain concerned about just how much the offense will prepare Dart for the next level. Kiffin knows how to scheme receivers open, as 33.5% of Dart's passes this season have been labeled as wide-open attempts (11th in the country).
"Passers in that offense are always hard to project because everything's so open," said an area scout for an NFC team. "I think he has a nice arm, but there's hardly any progressions and Lane's scheming guys open so well, so he's one of those guys you'd want to see at an all-star game to see if he's capable of running a pro offense."
9. Miller Moss, USC
Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 205 pounds
Class: Redshirt junior | Projected range: Early to mid Day 3
Where he excels: Moss backed up Caleb Williams over the past two seasons but got his chance in the DirecTV Holiday Bowl in December, throwing six touchdown passes in a blowout win over Louisville that put him on the radar of NFL scouts. He has carried that performance over into 2024, throwing for 1,618 yards with 11 touchdowns and five picks.
Moss is a fearless thrower who has the confidence to believe he can fit a football through a coin slot. Despite being one of the most pressured QBs in the country (38.5%, 15th most), he has completed 64.5% of his passes. He's also elusive enough to evade pressure, creating opportunities to get rid of the ball off platform.
Miller Moss finds Quinten Joyner to extend USC's lead over Penn State.
Where he needs work: Due to a combination of Moss' below-average arm and USC's line issues, coach Lincoln Riley's scheme has been reduced to operating primarily in the short areas of the field; Moss' 6.2 air yards per attempt rank 117th in the FBS.
Throwing for 378 yards in USC's Week 1 win over LSU created more buzz from scouts, but Moss has started only seven college games, so the sample is very small. He could rise if he continues his success under Riley this season.
10. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana
Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 223 pounds
Class: Redshirt senior | Projected range: Mid to late Day 3
Where he excels: Rourke quietly has created interest in NFL circles, as he racked up 7,651 passing yards and 61 total touchdowns (50 passing, 11 rushing) in five seasons at Ohio before transferring to Indiana. He has 1,752 yards, 14 touchdown passes and two interceptions in six starts this season.
Rourke's 78.3 adjusted completion percentage ranks fifth in the FBS, and multiple NFL decision-makers I've spoken to have taken note of his play.
"Maybe I'm crazy, but why aren't more people talking about this guy?!" a scouting director for an AFC team said. "He's had nothing but success on two levels, and there hasn't been any drop off since he moved up."
Where he needs work: Rourke needs to be more efficient through his progressions. There are times when he gets stuck on the first or second read instead of eliminating them quickly based on pre- and post-snap structures. Hanging on to those routes with the hope they come open has resulted in him missing other open options or being forced to escape avoidable pressure.
With back-to-back games against Michigan and Ohio State in November, scouts will be paying close attention.
11. Kyle McCord, Syracuse
Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 205 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Mid to late Day 3
Where he excels: McCord's improvement and growth at Syracuse has been one of the biggest surprises of the season. He had 3,170 passing yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions as Ohio State's starter last season, but he didn't show high-upside, pro-ready attributes.
He transferred last December and found an ideal landing spot at Syracuse. When I visited practices there during preseason camp, I had the opportunity to observe McCord, and it was clear he looked more comfortable in first-year coach Fran Brown's scheme. The move has paid off, as he has 1,814 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions on the season.
McCord has been a quick decision-maker for the Orange, getting rid of the ball in 2.52 seconds on average, the 18th-fastest rate in the country. He also understands his limitations as a passer, playing in structure and immediately taking what's available early in his progressions.
Where he needs work: McCord's ball placement still has plenty of room for improvement. He's effective in getting the ball to the correct spots on his reads, but locations tend to be in unpredictable spots of the strike zone. His 11.9% off-target rate ranks 66th.
"It's clear that he knows where to go with it, but receivers still have to work way too hard to catch it at times," an AFC national scout said.
12. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
Height: 6-foot | Weight: 200 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Late Day 3
Where he excels: Gabriel is one of the most productive quarterbacks in college football history, as the left-handed passer has thrown for 16,655 yards with 138 touchdowns over six college seasons, including stints at UCF (2019-2021) and Oklahoma (2022-2023) before he transferred to Oregon.
His completion percentage has increased each season of his career, and his 76.1% in 2024 leads the FBS. Gabriel is at his best when he can attack underneath voids in defenses, and that helps him take advantage of space in shallow areas while mixing in occasional deep shots. He's a poised and precise decision-maker who makes high-level pre-snap reads.
Where he needs work: Gabriel has below-average arm strength and throws a lot of perimeter screens and short routes intended to generate yards after the catch. Headed into Saturday, he was averaging just 6.2 air yards per attempt, which ranked 111th in the country. Because of the emphasis on attacking leverage from defenses, Gabriel throws to mostly open targets in Will Stein's offense. As a result of his reliance on short throws, 36.3% of his targets are considered wide open, the highest rate in the FBS.
13. Will Howard, Ohio State
Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 235 pounds
Class: Senior | Projected range: Undrafted free agent
Where he excels: Howard spent four seasons at Kansas State (2020-2023) and took advantage of his extra year by transferring to Ohio State, which has plenty of playmakers around him on offense. He has 1,574 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions. He has also added another five scores on the ground. A physically imposing QB, Howard is a dual-threat passer with a good enough arm to facilitate the ball, combined with the mobility to be an extension of the run game.
Where he needs work: Many of Howard's warts show up when defenses have been able to speed up his processing. Getting pressure in his face and accelerating his time in the pocket have resulted in a 2.3 QBR when under pressure, which is one of the worst rates in the country (123rd). He tends to drop his eyes and immediately look for running lanes; he has to become more patient and read progressions even at the hint of pressure.